Bowing out after 15 years - and proving it can Kipper secret

Everton fans begin the celebrations in the stands during the Barclays Premier League match at Goodison Park, Liverpool

Share

Get Everton FC updates directly to your inbox

Thank you for subscribing!

Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email

THEY’VE been sent pictures from the top of Mount Everest, boasted more than 50,000 registered forum users, regularly entertained even more Evertonians – and raised more than £35,000 for charity.

But, after 15 years of interviews, articles, photos – and lively dinners – the Blue Kipper website is closing down at the end of this month.

There’s no conspiracy. No controversy. Just a lot of sadness – and fondness for an Everton institution.

As founder Steve Jones explained: “We’re all getting older and want to do other things with our time. Our kids aren’t that interested in taking over so rather than just toddle about playing at it, we are packing it in.”

They will be missed.

From snaps of Top Toffee Ale Ouses, Me Arl Fella’s Shouts (cries heard at matches, so successful it spawned a spin-off book), Show Us Yer Tatts and more than 50 player interviews, Blue Kipper has entertained Evertonians since 2000.

It was one of those player interviews which helped get the site up and running.

“We were just four lads from the Valentine pub in Aintree,” said Steve. “Me, Paul Jones, Gary Jones and Paul McIver. We liked When Skies Are Grey and Toffeeweb but wanted to do something not as straight laced.

“A teccy guy called Keith Davies helped us set up and a few days later I bumped into Richard Gough in a restaurant.

“I was in awe of him – he and Big Duncan are the only two players I’ve ever been in awe of – but I passed him a card and asked him to look at the site.

“He did, then sent me an e-mail saying he liked it and if we ever wanted him to help, just to get in touch.

Dion Dublin battles it out with Richard Gough

“I thought it was a wind-up but he was genuine – and he became our first player interview.”

There are times Blue Kipper has sailed very close to the wind.

“We used to arrange travel to away games,” explained Steve. “And in 2007 we wanted to charter a plane to take fans to Kharkiv in Ukraine.

“As far as I know there were only two planes making the trip specifically for the Europa League match – the Everton official party and ourselves.

“The worry was that the travel agent we went to wanted 10 grand up front. My brother worked out we needed to sell 200 seats to break even, and the plane only carried 250.

“We thought about it, then said ‘sod it’ let’s do it. I borrowed the money against my house so it was squeaky bum time for a few days. Happily we sold all 250 seats!”

Other highlights include the time a supporter sent a photo in from on top of Mount Everest, with his climbing gear exposed to reveal an Everton shirt.

“It was genuine,” said Steve. “It was then when I realised how far reaching Blue Kipper had become.” So finally … why Blue Kipper?

It’s a great tale – involving a post office, a female customer and personal hygiene issues, but can’t be repeated in a family newspaper.

And besides, Blue Kipper deserves to retain some secrets as it heads into graceful retirement.

Pioneer Robinson is on his bike

Neil Robinson was a football pioneer.

The former Everton full-back was the first footballer on the planet to adopt a plant-exclusive vegan lifestyle.

And he is still promoting vegan values.

On June 26 Robinson will join Dean Howell – the ‘second vegan footballer in the UK and possibly the world’ – and cyclist and rock climber Tris West on a charity cycle ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats in nine days.

The trio aim to raise funds for a variety of charities linked to helping animal and human plight, poverty, hunger, education and environmental issues.

They also aim to raise awareness of how we can all help to promote world peace by adopting the vegan lifestyle.

Robinson made 23 appearances for the Blues between 1976 and 1979, including a League Cup final in only his fourth senior outing.

He also had mixed memories of his first top flight goal – a fierce shot in a 6-0 defeat of Chelsea, which saw his team-mates race to the referee to ask for the goal to be disallowed rather than run to congratulate him!

“Bob Latchford was chasing 30 league goals for the season and it was the last match of the campaign,””explained Robinson.

“I scored my one and only Everton goal that day but there was an incident in the box just before I scored and the lads were demanding a penalty so that Bob could take it to get his 29th goal.

“I thought something was odd because no-one came to congratulate me – they were all berating the ref while I nearly ran out of the ground with joy!”